Priority
by figured-out
Summary: He has a special list.


**Priority.**  
_Sydney/Vaughn  
Mid season 3._

Sydney had always put Vaughn before everything else. 

When her father told her Lauren was identified as a double agent - loyal to the Covenant- and taken into custody earlier that day, she leaped out of her chair and nearly ran him over on her way to check up on Vaughn. 

Jack Bristow stopped her and assured her that Vaughn was fine. 

It turned out marrying Lauren was only part of a bigger task given to him - to spy on her. 

It was then that Sydney realized Vaughn put her second, not first, in his list of priorities - that spot was reserved for the CIA. 

- 

Later that night, she knocked on his door. The way to the living room was full of boxes - he was busy packing Lauren's belongings. 

Sydney kneeled down to the floor and helped him pack another pile of clothes. A red top was the only thing left outside the boxes, and Vaughn handed it to her. "It's yours." 

She couldn't help but long for the time to be rewound so it could be two years ago again. 

- 

He apologized to her so many times that she had the speeches memorized. 

_#1 - I would have never taken the assignment had I known you were alive, I wanted to get revenge, I wanted to take them down, I thought they had killed you and I wanted to ruin them and it was the only way we could think of. #2 - I would have told you, I swear to God, but Dixon told me not to/said I couldn't/promised we were so close to ruining her. #3 - I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so so sorry, I never should have done it, I shouldn't have put you through this, I'm so so so so so so sorry…_

It came to a point where she recognized the _look_ and hurried to drown the apology with a kiss before he even spoke. 

- 

Dixon was handed Vaughn's resignation letter exactly forty days after Vaughn had seen Lauren last. When asked what brought the decision, Vaughn only mentioned reorganizing his priorities. 

It was vague, but Dixon understood, and the next person he talked to was Sydney. She quickly said she had no hand in Vaughn's decision, but Dixon only wanted to know if she was next. 

- 

They discussed it over dinner, spaghetti Bolognese and red wine in long glasses, and he insisted on not giving his opinion because "it should be your decision only". 

It was obvious to them both that there was nothing keeping her tied to the CIA anymore. 

So they made plans for the future. 

- 

On their last mission, they were a married couple, guesting in the honeymoon suite of Minotel Boston in Venice. 

She let out a sigh when they entered the suite, which was huge and beautifully decorated and had spectacular view. 

Vaughn stepped inside, because you never approach Sydney Bristow from behind, took her hands and promised they'd come back to that suite one day, not on a mission. 

Right before heading to steal yet another Rambaldi artifact, they toasted for that promise, both wearing wide smiles. 

- 

They flew back to Italy a few months later - same city, same hotel, same suite. They used their real names that time, and dressed as tourists. 

During their first honeymoon meal - lunch - she kept looking around. When he asked what was wrong, she said she felt extremely weird not dressed up and ready to fight, as if someone was going to jump our any second and attack them because she wasn't well disguised. 

That night, when they went out to tour around the city, she wore a wig just for the heck of it - a red wig, even, shiny and bright - and put his father's old watch on, too, to complete the look. 

- 

Arvin Sloane was executed on their first anniversary, and Sydney said it was the best gift anyone could have given to her. 

It also symbolized the end of her last connection to the espionage world. Well, partly, considering the CIA director himself called to tell her the news, and, a week later, when she found out she was pregnant, she very quietly said that if it's a girl, she would like a name the baby Emily. 

- 

It _was_ a girl, and Sydney thought the name Emily fitted her perfectly. 

On her last day at the hospital, she woke up and found Vaughn sitting on a chair next to window, holding Emily and pointing out important things to her - sun, sky, bird, grass, happiness. She then realized that Emily now took the first place in Vaughn's heart. That time around, she certainly didn't mind being put second. 


End file.
